House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Estate: Security

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2024 to Question 22724 on Parliamentary Estate: Security, if the Commission will publish a breakdown of the (a) 4,132 staff and (b) 4,236 contractors with valid security passes by (i) profession and (ii) Department.

Sir Charles Walker: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Cladding Safety Scheme

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the whole of a building that is partially higher than 11 metres and partially lower than this threshold will be eligible for funding from the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Lee Rowley: The Cladding Safety Scheme is open to buildings over 11 metres (and up to 18 metres in London) when measured in accordance with the guidance set out on scheme eligibility on gov.uk. The height measurement should be taken from the lowest external ground level to the finished floor level of the top occupied storey. If a building is of varying height, it is the height of the highest residential floor which is relevant when measured in accordance with the instructions provided.

Housing: Overcrowding

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the number of people living in overcrowded housing in Wellingborough constituency.

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for his policies of trends in the prevalence of damp and mould in social housing in (a) Wellingborough constituency and (b) Northamptonshire.

Jacob Young: As set out in the answer to Question UIN 11182 on 30 January, the English Housing Survey sets out levels of overcrowding and damp and mould in all residential accommodation, including social housing. Details are available online.

Private Rented Housing: Wellingborough

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the average increase in rent for private properties in Wellingborough constituency in the last 12 months; and what assessment he has made of the affordability of rent increases for people on average earnings in Wellingborough constituency.

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an estimate of the number of unoccupied dwellings in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) Wellingborough constituency.

Gen Kitchen: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has taken recent steps to increase the construction of (a) social housing and (b) affordable homes in Wellingborough constituency.

Jacob Young: The ONS publishes both rental price and rental affordability indexes at local authority and regional levels respectively, and the department publishes data on the number of unoccupied dwellings, as defined for council tax purposes, at local authority level. Data is not available at parliamentary constituency level.The provision of affordable housing is part of the Government's plan to build more homes and provide aspiring homeowners with a step onto the housing ladder. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme will deliver thousands of affordable homes for both rent and to buy right across the country. The Levelling Up White Paper committed to increasing the supply of social rented homes and a large number of the new homes delivered through our Affordable Homes Programme will be for social rent.

Ground Rent

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of capping existing ground rents (a) to a peppercorn, (b) to £250 per annum and (c) in another way on the operation of (i) pension funds and (ii) financial markets.

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the potential impact of capping ground rent to (a) a peppercorn and (b) £250 on the returns of UK pension funds.

Lee Rowley: The Government’s consultation on restricting ground rents for existing leases ran from 8 December to 17 January.Whilst we will publish a full response shortly, we can confirm that the general response to the consultation has confirmed that ground rents represent, at most, a small percentage of total UK pension assets. In addition, no substantive evidence has been provided within the consultation that suggests that there is a systemic risk to the operation of pension funds or the financial markets. Even the sector itself, in its so-called “option 6” alternative, has recognised the necessity of reform in this policy area.Having concluded the consultation and reviewed the responses provided, we intend to set out the future proposed approach in this policy area shortly.

Homelessness: Health Services

Mrs Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the health issues faced by homeless people.

Felicity Buchan: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is working closely with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), the National Health Service and public health bodies to improve health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.This includes DLUHC funding of up to £186.5 million for the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant, providing evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment and wrap-around support, and funding over £30 million of health interventions under the Rough Sleeping Initiative.As part of the cross-government Drug Strategy, we are also working with OHID to provide up to £53 million for the Housing Support Grant to improve the recovery outcomes for people in drug and alcohol treatment with a housing need. In addition, the NHS England Long-Term Plan establishes new specialist mental health provision for people who sleep rough in high need areas, underpinned by a £30 million investment. To date, 37 sites have been launched across the country.

Homelessness: Young People

Mrs Helen Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to publish a national youth homelessness strategy.

Felicity Buchan: This Government is committed to tackling all forms of homelessness including youth homelessness.The Government’s ‘Ending Rough Sleeping for Good’ Strategy, published in 2022 and backed by £2.4 billion, recognises young people face particular challenges. The strategy confirmed a £200 million investment in the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme which will deliver homes for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping, including young people. In addition, £2.5 million of Rough Sleeping Initiative funding for 2022-2025 supports youth services in local areas.The Department will continue to work with local authorities and partners in the voluntary and community sector and private sector to tackle youth homelessness.

Department for Education

Carers: Childcare

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy for carers who work less than 16 hours a week to be eligible to access 30 hours of free childcare.

David Johnston: To be eligible for the working parent entitlement, which includes the current 30 hours offer, parents will need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage, which is £183 per week or £9,518 per year in 2024/25, and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. A parent on carer’s leave, or in receipt of certain benefits, may be eligible provided their partner is working and meets the eligibility criteria. Currently, there are no plans to change the eligibility criteria. All 3 and 4 year olds are eligible for the universal 15 hour free entitlement, regardless of their parents’ circumstances. This is available the term after a child turns three and is available for 38 weeks a year. Further information on the entitlement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/help-with-childcare-costs.

Special Educational Needs: Lancashire

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of support for children with SEND in Lancashire.

David Johnston: Lancashire were last inspected under the previous Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) framework and were issued with a Written Statement of Action (WSoA) with 12 areas of significant weakness. Following their revisit inspection, published in August 2020, Lancashire were moved onto an Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) for five areas of significant weakness which were deemed to have not made sufficient progress. A department Case Lead, alongside a NHS England and a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) adviser, worked with the local authority and monitored their progress against the APP. After a series of reviews and data analysis, in 2021 the decision was taken that based on the evidence provided, that Lancashire had demonstrated clear and sustained progress against the areas highlighted in the accelerated progress plan. As with all local areas, the department has continued to provide support and challenge to Lancashire through their regional case lead, who seeks regular assurance, through conversations with SEND leads, that they are sustaining the progress made. The department also analyses Lancashire’s position through the annual SEN2 data publication, assessing their data performance and using this information to shape discussions. This progress will be assessed in the next Ofsted and CQC inspection, with all local authorities due to be inspected by the end of 2027.

Education: Standards

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the study funded by the Nuffield Foundation entitled A generation at risk: Rebalancing education in the post-pandemic era, published in April 2024.

Damian Hinds: Predicting GCSE results is very difficult as there are many drivers that can interact in unforeseen ways. However, as the Nuffield Foundation’s report indicates, the pandemic deprived children of the advantages of studying together within the safety and support of their schools. The pandemic created a unique challenge for teachers, staff, students and families. Minimising its impact on education and tackling the challenges has been the department’s priority from the start. Almost £5 billion was made available specifically for education recovery, with support focussed on those who needed it most, while giving education providers as much flexibility as possible to tailor-make help for their own circumstances. This includes the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), which focuses on disadvantaged pupils and those who have fallen behind, and has seen nearly five million tutoring courses start since it launched in November 2020. The department knows that disadvantaged children and pupils with a special educational need or disability were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The department continues to take a range of steps to give priority support and deliver programmes to help them, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system and providing targeted support where needed. The department is also supporting disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which is rising to almost £2.9 billion in 2024/25, which is the highest in cash terms since this funding began. Further to this, latest results from 2023 show that over 45% of pupils sitting GCSEs achieved a grade 5 or higher in both English and mathematics, which is an increase of more than two percentage points compared with pre-pandemic 2019 levels and almost three percentage points when compared with 2017. England recently came fourth in primary reading out of 43 countries which tested pupils of the same age in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Despite disruption from the pandemic, England’s score remained stable and well above the international and European averages. Furthermore, the department has committed to making schools safe, calm and supportive environments, which promote and support mental wellbeing alongside delivering an excellent education. Enrichment activities can deepen children’s in-school experience while supporting them to develop their socio-emotional skills. The department is now delivering the vision set out in its Schools White Paper, which states that every child and young person will have access to high-quality extra-curricular provision, including an entitlement to take part in sport, music and cultural opportunities. Monitoring and measuring wellbeing in schools strengthens this, which is why the department’s guidance on promoting a whole-school approach to pupil wellbeing includes this as one of its eight key principles. You can find out more here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/614cc965d3bf7f718518029c/Promoting_children_and_young_people_s_mental_health_and_wellbeing.pdf. The department is supporting all state schools and colleges with a grant to train a senior mental health lead. To date 15,100 settings have claimed a grant so far, including more than 7 in 10 state-funded secondary schools. Intervening early is critical. To expand access to early mental health support, the department is continuing to roll out Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to schools and colleges. MHSTs deliver evidence-based interventions for mild to moderate mental health issues, support the senior mental health lead (where established) in each school or college to introduce or develop whole school or college approaches and give timely advice to school and college staff, and liaise with external specialist services, to help children and young people get the right support to stay in education. The department is extending coverage of MHSTs to cover at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

Music: Teachers

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings in the report entitled Teacher Labour Market in England: Annual Report, published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in March 2024, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the Government meets its Initial Teacher Training targets for music teachers.

Damian Hinds: Postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (PGITT) recruitment represents a subset of entrants to teaching. Targets do not include all routes. For example, they do not include undergraduate courses. Each year the department also recruits teachers that return to the profession having previously left the state-funded teaching sector, as well as those that were already qualified but are new to the sector. The last School Workforce Census, which took place in June 2023, showed that 48,000 teachers entered the profession. Around one third of these were made up of those returning to the profession and half were new teachers entering through PGITT routes. In the 2023/24 academic year, there were 216 new postgraduate entrants in music, which was 27% of the PGITT target. This is a decline in recruitment from the 2022/23 academic year, in which there were 292 new postgraduate entrants in music or 62% of the PGITT. The PGITT for music increased by 68% in 2023/24, which may partly explain some of the change in performance against the recruitment target. As of 22 April 2024, 171 candidates have accepted an offer to begin a PGITT course in music in the 2024/25 academic year, which is a 24% increase from the same point last year. For those intending to train as music teachers in the 2024/25 academic year, the department has introduced a bursary of £10,000 to support and encourage talented trainees to enter the profession. Music trainee teachers can also apply for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan to support their living costs. Additional funding is available depending on individual circumstances, such as the Childcare Grant. The department accepted the School Teachers’ Review Body’s recommendations in full for a 6.5% teacher pay award in 2023, which saw the government achieve its manifesto commitment of £30,000 starting salaries for all teachers in England. This is an attractive offer, which forms part of the overall remuneration package for teachers, including a generous employer pension contribution rate of 28.6%. Alongside the department’s financial levers, the department is continuing to invest in attracting the best teachers where they are needed most through the teaching marketing campaign and support services for prospective trainees, as well as its new in-house teacher recruitment journey and associated digital services.

Special Educational Needs: ICT and Mobile Phones

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance entitled Mobile phones in schools, published on 19 February 2024, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that students with special educational needs and disabilities who rely on mobile phones and technology for learning are not disproportionately affected by that guidance.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has put provisions in place to accommodate the needs of students with special educational needs and disabilities who rely on (a) mobile phones and (b) other technology for learning.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken with schools to ensure that they differentiate their approach to mobile phone restrictions for students with special educational needs and disabilities who rely on (a) mobile phones and (b) other technology for (i) communication and (ii) learning support.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce mechanisms for students with special educational needs and disabilities to request exemptions from mobile phone bans based on their educational needs.

Damian Hinds: All schools should have a behaviour policy which is aligned with the school’s legal duties and standards relating to the welfare of children. As part of this policy, schools should develop a mobile phone policy that prohibits the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones.Exemptions may be required for children with specific special educational needs or disabilities, including users of assistive technology. Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid substantial disadvantage to a disabled pupil caused by the school’s policies or practices. Allowing a disabled pupil access to their mobile phone during the school day, where it is necessary due to the nature of their disability, may be considered a reasonable adjustment and a failure to do so may be a breach of the school’s duty. Headteachers remain responsible for deciding how to implement a mobile phone policy, taking into account the unique context of each school and its pupils. Headteachers should assess each case for adjustments and adaptations on its own merits. The ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance contains practical advice for schools, including case studies, which consider how to ensure that the needs of all children are met while continuing to remove distractions in lessons and create an environment where children can focus on learning and building friendships.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the end of custody supervised licence scheme on rates of recidivism among early-release prisoners.

Edward Argar: We are constantly monitoring the use of End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) and its impact.We are taking action to drive down the reoffending rate for all offenders by investing in a wide range of rehabilitative interventions to get them into skills training, work, and stable accommodation. This includes delivering our ground-breaking transitional accommodation service, known as Community Accommodation Service – Tier 3 (CAS-3), so prison-leavers have a guaranteed 12 weeks of basic, temporary accommodation to provide a stable base on release. By January 2023, the proportion of offenders housed on the first night of their release from custody was 7.6 percentage points higher in CAS3 regions versus non-CAS3 regions.

Convention on the International Protection of Adults and Mental Capacity

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to support people who have lasting power of attorney for an individual who has been assessed as lacking mental capacity with accessing funds held outside the UK; and if he will take steps to ratify the Hague Convention of 13 January 2000 on the International Protection of Adults.

Mike Freer: There are existing ways in which a Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) made in England and Wales under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 can be accepted abroad for the purpose of accessing funds. A certified copy of the LPA, signed off by a notary public with an apostille (a special sealed certificate) attached by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides one method. Alternatively, a translation of the LPA can be formally recognised by the appropriate court of the country in which funds are held. Although the UK has ratified the 2000 Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults in respect of Scotland, we have not yet done so in relation to England and Wales or Northern Ireland. However, in respect of England and Wales, the majority of its provisions are contained in Schedule 3 of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Schedule 3 provides a framework for recognition and enforcement of ‘protective measures’ such as LPAs in the place of an individual’s habitual residence. We recognise the importance of ratifying the 2000 Hague Convention, as this will bring about international co‐operation to deal with the affairs of individuals across member states. We will progress this work when legislative time allows.

War Memorials: Vandalism

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of criminal damage to war memorials in the last five years.

Laura Farris: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of defendants prosecuted and sentencing outcomes for criminal damage offences across the last 5 years, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2023.However, for criminal damage offences, the specific target of the criminal damage is not recorded in the Court Proceedings Database and so it is not possible to distinguish criminal damage to memorials from wider criminal damage. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Haiti: Malnutrition

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the number of children aged between six and 59 months that are at risk of severe malnutrition in Haiti.

David Rutley: According to the most recent UN-backed analysis of food security in Haiti, almost half the population needs some type of food assistance. The UK continues to support Haiti through our contributions to UN agencies, multi donor, pooled NGO funds, and institutions such as the World Bank Group, who are active in addressing Haiti's significant humanitarian challenges. The difficult security situation within Haiti has impeded humanitarian access, but the UN has established a limited humanitarian airbridge. In response to calls for urgent humanitarian assistance, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, of which the UK is historically the largest contributor, has authorised disbursement of $12 million to support those affected.

UNRWA: Finance

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the Final Report for the United Nations Secretary-General: Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024, if he will make it his policy to resume funding of UNRWA operations in Gaza; and whether he has had discussions with his German counterpart on their decision to resume funding for UNRWA following publication of that report.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.We will set out our position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.We remain absolutely committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.We have regular discussions with international counterparts, including Germany, on all aspects of the conflict.

Gaza: Israel

Martyn Day: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will have discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the (a) effectiveness of command and control within the Israeli Defence Forces and (b) reports that a senior commander who was dismissed in connection with the strike that killed international aid workers in Gaza had expressed personal views on aid to Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Foreign Secretary visited Israel on 17 April and held high-level talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Herzog and Foreign Minister Katz. He reiterated the need for an immediate pause in the fighting in Gaza to get aid in and hostages out.The UK is pushing as hard as we can to get aid to Palestinian civilians. Israel must fulfil its commitments to enable a flood of aid, including by guaranteeing deconfliction for aid workers.

Amnesty International

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of Amnesty International’s annual report, published 23 April 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We note Amnesty International's annual report, published last month.The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights both internationally and domestically. We will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account. We report on the UK's work around the world to promote and protect human rights in the Annual Human Rights & Democracy Report, due to be published this summer.

Gaza: Maternity Services

Emma Hardy: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the humanitarian situation in Gaza on the delivery of maternity care.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government is closely monitoring the situation in Gaza and collects information from multiple sources, including on the status of healthcare provision. We are also in regular contact with humanitarian partners who operate in Gaza.The UK is doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air. We trebled our aid commitment during the last financial year, including £4.25 million to the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, to provide life-saving support to vulnerable women and girls in Gaza. This support is expected to reach about 111,500 women, around 1 in 5 of the adult women in Gaza. It will support up to 100 community midwives, the distribution of around 20,000 menstrual hygiene management kits and 45,000 clean delivery kits.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking with international partners to maintain global focus on the Sudan (a) conflict and (b) humanitarian crisis.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I visited Chad in March. I met with the President, Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister to discuss the impact the conflict in Sudan is having on the country and to press Chad to support regional and international efforts to bring about a permanent ceasefire through political dialogue. I also met some of the over 700,000 refugees who have fled Sudan, reaffirmed the UK's commitment to the people of Sudan and announced a near-doubling of UK ODA to Sudan (£89 million). On 15 April, Lord Benyon represented the UK at the Paris Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Sudan. The Conference called upon the warring parties to stop fighting and meaningfully engage in a peace process. On the same day, the Foreign Secretary tweeted calling for a ceasefire. On 8 March, the UN Security Council adopted a UK-drafted Resolution calling for immediate ceasefire.

Israel: International Law

Emma Hardy: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with his Israeli counterpart on the importance of upholding international law.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have consistently called on all parties to the conflict to respect International Humanitarian Law and ensure the protection of civilians. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this during his visit to Israel on 17 April.

Gaza: White Phosphorus

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his  policies on reports of the alleged use of using phosphorous munitions in Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas in accordance with International Humanitarian Law. We continue to call on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians.The situation in Gaza is desperate and we are continuing to support a deal which would secure a pause in the fighting.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Procurement

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will publish the schedule of requirements for the contract reference tender_403850/1325809.

David Rutley: Yes. The technical specification for contract reference tender_403850/1325809 can be found in the copy of the awarded contract which is attached to the contract award notice [https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/fe9e999f-c28f-493e-bae6-ad3ee3c49871?origin=SearchResults&p=1] on Contracts Finder.

Israel: Gaza

Patrick Grady: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether arms exported from the United Kingdom were used in the attack by Israeli Defence Forces on the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza on 16 April 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British Government has underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in Gaza and ensure effective systems to guarantee the safety of humanitarian operations. We continue to raise this with Israel at the highest levels.

Trade Promotion: Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, whether his Department plans to recruit additional Tech Envoys.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: It is a priority action of the UK's International Technology Strategy to create the world's most extensive and capable technology diplomacy network, increasing the number of Technology Envoys, increasing our tech expertise across our global network, and uplifting the capability of our diplomats through training, secondments and recruitment. We are in the process of recruiting a North America Technology Envoy.

Thailand: Diplomatic Service

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the welfare of Thailand embassy staff in the context of the conflict on the Thailand/Myanmar border.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The safety and welfare of embassy staff and British nationals in Thailand is our top priority, and the Ambassador has confirmed that all embassy staff are safe and well.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to support the roll-out of human papillomavirus vaccines worldwide.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK supports human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes in developing countries through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The UK is the second largest donor to Gavi, having committing £1.65 billion over 2021-2025. The UK was a vocal advocate for inclusion of the HPV vaccine into Gavi's portfolio to help protect the most vulnerable girls from the leading cause of cervical cancer. Since 2014 Gavi has fully immunised 16.3 million girls and aims to immunise a total of 86 million girls by the end of 2025.

Women and Equalities

Women and Equalities: Consultants

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much her Department has spent on external consultancies in the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: The Equality Hub is part of the Cabinet Office and external consultancy spend is reported within the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts. For 2019-20, Cabinet Office external consultancy spend can be found on pages 59 and 104 of our Annual Report and Accounts 2019-20, linked here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f16e6aa3a6f40727f97b746/Cabinet-Office-Annual-Report-and-Accounts-2019-20.pdf For 2020-21, Cabinet Office external consultancy spend can be found on pages 104 and 206 of our Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21, linked here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f03ea28fa8f50c716bccda/15640_CO_Annual_Report_2020_2021_digital_temp.pdf For 2021-22, Cabinet Office external consultancy spend can be found on pages 119 and 197 of our Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, linked here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1123904/CO_ARA21-22_WEB_Final_121222.pdfFor 2022-23 Cabinet Office external consultancy spend can be found on pages 107 and 191 of our Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, linked here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6509a3394cd3c3000d68ccd4/CO_ARA22-23_WEB_190923.pdf Consultancy spend for 2023-24 will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24, later this year.  Cabinet Office has a mature assurance framework for Consultancy & Professional Services. A dedicated team exists to assure such spending and make recommendations to officials accordingly for decision. The assurance framework is built on the principles outlined in the Consultancy Playbook and aims to ensure that where such requirements are justified, they deliver value for money for the taxpayer. This use of these consultants is a legitimate part of policymaking that helps to deliver efficient public services to the taxpayer and has been a feature under successive Governments.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Consultants

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how much the Equality and Human Rights Commission has spent on external consultancies in the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: As an executive non-departmental public body that is operationally independent, this is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to respond. I have attached the response from the Interim Chief Executive below.EHRC Letter (pdf, 31.8KB)

Cabinet Office

Drugs: Death

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) men and (b) women died from synthetic drug use in the last year for which data is available.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Hon Member’s Parliamentary Question of 25/04 is attached. UKSA Letter (pdf, 84.0KB)

Department for Business and Trade

Container Terminals: Mediterranean Region

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the (a) implications for her policies of the capacity limits of container ports around the western Mediterranean and (b) impact of those limits on (i) inventory costs and (ii) the availability of components for (A) retailers and (B) manufacturers.

Alan Mak: Government is monitoring the disruption to shipping caused by Red Sea attacks and working with businesses to understand the current and potential future impacts on shipping. Shipping operators are working to mitigate any potential impact on consumers, and the shipping and supply chain sectors are well practiced at putting contingencies in place to continue to meet their customer needs. If UK businesses are facing issues as a result of actions in the Red Sea, they can access advice and report disruptions through the Export Support Service: https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team.

Pay

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to enable employees to use salary sacrifice schemes that reduce their cash earnings below National Minimum Wage rates.

Kevin Hollinrake: The law prevents employers from reducing pay below the National Minimum Wage through salary sacrifice schemes and pay deductions where this is in some way for the employer's own use and benefit. Such a benefit could derive from a reduction in the employer's National Insurance contributions. This remains the case even if the worker chooses to participate in such a scheme.The Government is not currently considering changing this legislation. It is important that we continue to prevent exploitation from unscrupulous employers and harm to vulnerable workers. It is the responsibility of all employers to understand and follow these rules.

INEOS: Grangemouth

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2024 to Question 19719 on INEOS: Belgium, whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of supporting the cethelyne cracker plant at the existing Ineos site at Grangemouth.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2024 to Question 19719 on INEOS: Belgium, whether her Department sought assurances from Ineos on the safeguarding of the petrochemical site at Grangemouth before providing support for the Ineos Project One plant at Antwerp.

Greg Hands: UK Export Finance is the UK’s Export Credit Agency, and its role is to provide finance and insurance to support UK exports. It has not had any involvement with the Grangemouth Petrochemical site.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Vegetarianism

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a legal definition of vegetarianism.

Sir Mark Spencer: There are no current plans to introduce a legal definition of the term ‘vegetarianism’, but the use of this and indeed any term on food, whether retailed from a shop or on a menu for out-of-home sale, must not be misleading to consumers. The term ‘suitable for vegetarians’ is used voluntarily by the food industry. There is no legal requirement to describe a product as either suitable or unsuitable for vegetarians. The fundamental principle of food labelling rules is that information provided to the consumer must not mislead and must enable the safe use of food. These rules mean that manufacturers, retailers and caterers should be able to demonstrate that where foods are presented as 'vegetarian' reasonable steps have been taken to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegetarian foods during storage, preparation, cooking or display.Defra and the FSA will continue to work with businesses and consumers to ensure everyone can make safe and informed choices when purchasing items labelled as ‘vegetarian’.

Vegetarianism

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing guidance for (a) food manufacturers and (b) hospitality venues serving food on the definition of vegetarianism.

Sir Mark Spencer: The terms ‘Vegetarian’ and ‘Vegan’ do not currently have legal definitions in the UK, but the use of these and indeed any term on food, whether retailed from a shop or on a menu for out-of-home sale, must not be misleading to consumers. The term ‘suitable for Vegetarians’, is used voluntarily by the food industry. There is no legal requirement to describe a product as either suitable or unsuitable for vegetarians. There are no current plans to produce guidance specifically for food business operators on the definition of vegetarianism. However, Defra and the FSA will continue to work with businesses and consumers to ensure everyone can make safe and informed choices when purchasing items labelled as vegan or vegetarian.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects the bovine tuberculosis vaccine to be deployed.

Sir Mark Spencer: Developing a vaccine against TB in cattle is one of the Government’s top priorities. Defra aims to have a deployable cattle TB vaccine (‘CattleBCG’) and a new companion DIVA skin test (to detect infected among vaccinated animals) in the next few years. Field trials of the CattleBCG vaccine and the DIVA skin test started in 2021 and are ongoing. Final deployment will rely on the success of the ongoing field trials, achieving UK Marketing Authorisations from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) (for both CattleBCG and the companion DIVA skin test), gaining international recognition through the World Organisation of Animal Health (WOAH) and our trading partners for both products, an IT system to record and trace vaccinated cattle, and acceptance of vaccination from stakeholders across the supply chain. Information on the development of a bovine TB cattle vaccine can be found on the TB Hub at https://tbhub.co.uk/resources/frequently-asked-questions/development-of-a-deployable-tuberculosis-vaccine-for-cattle/.

Vegetarianism

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department defines vegetarian food; and whether restaurants using the same gloves to prepare food for (a) vegetarians and (b) non-vegetarians are defined as vegetarian.

Sir Mark Spencer: The terms ‘Vegetarian’ and ‘Vegan’ do not currently have legal definitions in the UK, but the use of these and indeed any term on food, whether retailed from a shop or on a menu for out-of-home sale, must not be misleading to consumers.   In order not to mislead, manufacturers, retailers and caterers should be able to demonstrate that where foods are presented as 'vegetarian' reasonable steps have been taken to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegetarian foods during storage, preparation, cooking or display. Food law provides a robust framework that protects public health and consumer interests and requires food businesses that produce, process, and distribute food to apply food safety controls that ensure food they place on the market is safe and is what it says it is. This includes avoiding cross contamination of foods including ensuring that work areas, surfaces and equipment used for raw and ready-to-eat food are adequately separated. While it may not be possible to avoid cross-contamination in a busy kitchen, it is incumbent on a food business to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to avoid cross-contamination and where appropriate, to inform customers where there is a risk Trading standards officers attached to the Local Authority are responsible for checking compliance with the food information requirements.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of his Department's spending on agricultural payment schemes in the financial year 2022-2023.

Sir Mark Spencer: In September 2023, the Farming and Countryside Programme (FCP) published an annual report for financial year 2022 to 2023. This set out that the FCP spent a total of £2.230 billion on our existing, and new farming schemes.

Farmers: Finance

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that financing is available to farmers who wish to invest in sustainable energy projects.

Sir Mark Spencer: The Farming Investment Fund has supported renewable energy projects through its grants for rooftop solar. In our recent Improving Farm Productivity grant, farmers and horticultural businesses in England were able to apply for capital grants towards solar equipment to increase energy resilience and the take-up of renewable energy generation on their farms. Grants of between £15,000 and £100,000 were available at an intervention rate of 25%. This scheme has now closed for new applications. We will continue to consider how to support farmers to invest in renewable energy projects in the future.

Department for Transport

Motorways: Safety

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the safety of smart motorways; and what evidence was used to make that assessment.

Guy Opperman: The latest published safety data and assessment can be found in National Highways’ ‘Third year progress report 2023’. Since then, massive investment of millions of pounds has been spent to upgrade and improve the safety of all motorways. Ongoing assessment is being made.

Department of Health and Social Care

Drugs: Misuse

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that synthetic drug users receive the correct care.

Andrea Leadsom: We are committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug dependency can access the help and support they need. For those using opiates, treatment is the safest place to be. The Government is investing an additional £780 million over the three years to 2024/25, the largest ever single increase in treatment and recovery funding in England, to create a world-class treatment and recovery system. We are investing £532 million to improve drug and alcohol treatment, and recovery services specifically. This funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant, and will grow the capacity and quality of the drug treatment system.We are working with an expert clinical group to review the treatment for opioid dependence, including synthetic opioids. However, the current view is that whether or not drugs are synthetic is unlikely to affect the treatment and care that is appropriate.

Drugs: Music Festivals

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to prevent deaths from (a) synthetic drugs and (b) any other drugs at festivals in summer 2024.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department is planning to write, jointly with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to local authorities, Directors of Public Health, and police forces and their partners, to provide planning advice for festivals over the summer. The guidance included in this letter will help minimise the risk of harm to individuals around such events, and will include specific reference to synthetic drugs.The Government recognises the potential harm reduction benefits of back-of-house drug checking facilities (DCFs) within this type of event. Back-of-house DCFs are those which test surrendered or confiscated drugs, but do not return the drugs to the individual or give individualised information on the content of the drugs, to avoid sending a message that taking any illegal drug can be safe. Instead, they enable localised public alerts if toxic or extremely dangerous drugs are detected. Organisations wishing to deliver back-of-house DCFs will need to apply for a Home Office licence and operate responsibly, in line with Government policy, to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support.

Drugs: Death

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how she is monitoring deaths from synthetic drugs.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department has a longstanding surveillance system in place to collect information on the nature and location of novel drug use and drug markets, and receives reports alerting us to harms experienced. Work is ongoing to improve drug surveillance on synthetic opioids, through development of an early warning system which will include new data feeds, such as ambulance call-out data.For surveillance purposes, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reconciles local and regional reports received via our drug alerts system, with police force reports received by the National Crime Agency, to arrive at an agreed figure for recent nitazene deaths. Statistics on the number of deaths related to other synthetic drugs are reported by the Office for National Statistics, and will be published in its annual report on the number of deaths related to drug poisoning.

GP Practice Lists: Lancaster and Wyre

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the GP to patient ratio in Wyre.

Andrea Leadsom: In March 2024, the median general practice patient ratio in Wyre was 5.1 full time equivalent doctors in general practice per 10,000 registered patients.

Disease Control

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will hold discussions with the Leader of the House on the provision of parliamentary time for a vote on the proposed World Health Organisation treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Andrew Stephenson: Parliamentary scheduling is a matter for the Business Managers. The Leader of the House will continue to announce business in the usual way, and discussions with the Leader may take place in due course if needed.

Cancer: Health Services

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2024 to Question 23061 on Cancer: Health Services, what steps she is taking to ensure that NHS trusts have sufficient cancer treatment capacity to adequately support the number of people that are being diagnosed.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government has allocated an additional £8 billion across this Spending Review period, to increase capacity and support elective recovery. Cancer treatment levels are at a record high, with approximately 345,000 people having received their first cancer treatment in the twelve months to February 2024.As outlined in the 2024/25 NHS England Planning Guidance, NHS England is providing over £266 million in cancer service development funding to Cancer Alliances, to support the delivery of the operational priorities for cancer.We are expanding capacity through our community diagnostic centres (CDCs), supported by £2.3 billion of capital funding, with 160 CDCs currently operational and having delivered almost 8 million additional tests, checks, and scans, including vital cancer checks.